Consumer magazines spent most of the past two decades managing decline. The more confident publishers have stopped doing that. Newsstand sales and print advertising are still shrinking, but well-made titles with loyal readers are raising cover prices and growing.
Scale matters less than it did. Bauer has made Grazia a more premium product and charged more for it, while independents such as Anthem have put print back at the centre of the business and grown their export sales. Stylist has changed format several times without losing its readers. Others have gone the other way, and Gay Times dropped print entirely to build a global audience online.
For most consumer publishers, print is our USP. It’s the anchor that makes advertisers trust us and the very thing that readers want from us.
Jon Bickley Our print strategy: Anthem
Behind the confidence sits some hard arithmetic. Newstrade is now a small share of revenue and events and ecommerce are growing from a low base. Trust has become a selling point as AI fills the web with content of uncertain origin, but the paid-for consumer model that works at scale is still being worked out.
Below you'll find some of our best feature articles on consumer magazines, from premium print and cover pricing to brand extensions, membership and the future of specialist titles, alongside our latest news and industry commentary.
For a while now, magazine publishers have been on the defensive, unsure about the viability of their traditional business model in a fast-changing world. Katie Vanneck-Smith wants to change all that.
We asked Tamar Riley, portfolio managing director at Immediate, what does best practice publishing look like in consumer media? This is what she said…
For premium titles like Grazia, Mojo and Empire, growth is increasingly coming not from extending reach but from deepening engagement with existing passionate audiences, as Lauren Holleyoake tells Ciar Byrne.
The printed magazine will be a cherished part of people’s lives for years to come, says Jon Bickley, co-founder and CEO. That is why it’s the key component in Anthem’s publishing strategy.
With the arrival of AI and the widespread availability of unattributable content, specialist publishers need to ensure that their titles are the trusted go-to brands in their sectors, Our Media’s Andy Marshall tells Ciar Byrne.
Stylist’s mission has been clear from day one: to engage with its female audience in an intelligent, positive and non-exploitative way. 16 years on, and current PPA Media Brand of the Year, they are staying true to those values, says Lisa Smosarski.
Gay Times was stuck in a rut, tied to its traditional publishing model and reaching only a small part of the LGBTQ+ community. Under the editorship of Lewis Corner, that began to change, as he explains to Ciar Byrne.
Whatever the rest of 2024 holds, two things are certain. Firstly, the bumpy economic ride will continue. Secondly, the need for media companies to have a broad base of revenue streams has never been more important or more challenging to achieve.
How do you create a specialist consumer media business that is fit for the future? What steps do you need to take to be resilient and flexible as audiences and technology evolve? Carolyn Morgan researched 20 innovators from across Europe to find out.
For many publishers, circulation is all about chasing volume, but they would be much better off chasing profitability, says Natalie Smith, client relationship manager at Warners.
Stylist, the women’s magazine, this week released an issue made and created by girls, to empower the future generation and raise awareness on The UN International Day of the Girl Child (Thursday 11th October 2018).
Every issue of the New Humanist, and its predecessors throughout the years, is now available through the digital edition developed in partnership with digital publishing company Exact Editions.
Ingenta, a provider of technology solutions to publishers, is offering two new web-based platforms for media organisations – Truly Media and Editorial.
Leading comics scholars have launched a new research hub focusing on comics, graphic novels and related forms at London College of Communication, UAL.
Condé Nast International yesterday announced the next Vogue title on Snapchat Discover; Vogue en español.
The Guardian has announced that it is turning its international weekly newspaper - Guardian Weekly - into a weekly news magazine.
Dennis Publishing, the company behind Auto Express, Carbuyer and evo, is launching DrivingElectric – a new website focusing on electric vehicles.
The Association for Online Publishing (AOP) recently unveiled the full programme for its summit aimed, it says, at giving industry leaders the insights needed for success across the digital publishing industry.
James Evelegh's editorial from this week's edition of InPubWeekly.
Graeme Clifford has been appointed as managing director of publishing software company Press Computer Systems.
The PPA has announced the shortlist for the PPA Digital Awards 2018.
Hearst UK has announced the appointment of Effie Kanyua to the role of Director of PR & Communications.
The PPA has announced the shortlist for this year’s Independent Publishers Awards.
Air Business’ new Head Office and chief distribution centre, based at Hatfield Business Park in Hertfordshire, is now officially open for business.
Readly, the global digital magazine subscription service, this week launches ‘Readly Exclusive’ in the UK, a new service offering readers access to special, unique content available only through the Readly app.
